1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mechanism for forming loose hay or the like in compact blocks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machines exist for taking loose hay and forming it into compact blocks for use as animal feed. The blocks provide a convenient way of accurately measuring feed and feed presented in this manner is usually not wasted by the animal. Hay that is loose or that has been formed into bales tends to stick together. When an animal such as a horse or a cow grabs a hold of loose or baled hay it usually picks up more than a mouthful. The excess hay quite often drops to the ground and is walked into the ground rather than being eaten.
Known mechanism for forming hay into blocks are characterized by a pair of wheels which rotate about parallel axes and form a nip at their peripheries into which the hay is fed. A problem with machines of this type is that they involve a relatively wide angle between the two wheels except at the nip itself, resulting in it being difficult for the wheels to grab the hay except at the nip. In known machines of this kind the hay is fed through a relatively small size inlet designed to deliver the hay substantially at the nip. The small size inlet limits the capacity of the machine (e.g. in a known machine to about ten tons per hour). Also, the hay has to be chopped up into short lengths. Such chopping is undesirable if the hay is to be used for cattle feed because cattle require long hay for proper digestion. It is known that when cattle are fed chopped hay over a period of time they suffer stomach and digestive tract problems.